NAKHON SAWAN: Fifteen illegal migrants from Myanmar and two Thai accomplices were arrested after police stopped a pickup truck on a highway in Nong Bua district of this northern province.
Highway police noticed the speedy pickup truck travelling along Highway 11 in Nong Bua district on Tuesday afternoon. It had dark window film and a roof covering the truck bed, and appeared heavily loaded.
The patrol car set off in pursuit and intercepted and stopped the pickup near highway kilometre marker 97.
A search quickly found the truck was packed with people, inside the cabin and on the back under the covering. Fifteen passengers were Myanmar nationals with no entry documents. There were also two Thai men, the driver Sorasak Kitwiboonsri, 33, and his assistant Phon Phukphan, 55.
All were taken into custody.
Mr Sorasak told police he was hired by a Thai man whose name was not known to pick up the 15 job seekers from Hot district of Chiang Mai province and deliver them to an area in Sing Buri province’s In Buri district. He was being paid 1,500 baht per head.
He had hired Mr Phon, paying him 2,000 baht to watch out for police checkpoints along the route.
The driver allegedly admitted he had made five or six previous trips with illegal migrants. He did it because he needed the money.
During questioning with the help of an interpreter, the migrants told police they illegally entered Thailand on foot using a natural border crossing. They were en route to jobs promised to them by agents they had each paid about 20,000 baht.
After crossing the border into Thailand they had waited somewhere in Chiang Mai for a vehicle to take them to their promised workplaces.
Police charged the two Thais with helping illegal migrants enter the country, sheltering them and helping them evade arrest. The 15 passengers were charged with illegal entry. All were taken to Nong Bua police station for legal action.